Chapter 8:

spectating a real fight

Humans can't learn magic, so I'll quit being human to chase my dreams!


I have no clue how long I've been out, but as I awaken, the leader and the two other samurai are hurrying inside. On the other side of the room, the guy who caught me when I fell *Ahem* retreated from the roof, is getting thrown around, fighting a massive black magic bear, all by himself.

"Took you long enough!"

The boss retorts jokingly:
"You didn't exactly give us a heads up before you invited this big guy join the party"

"Yeah, I'm trying to explain this is a private party, but he won't listen."

The leader guy sprints at the bear as he unsheathes his sword. The medic jumps back
He slashes at the front left shoulder, but gets knocked back by a swipe from the leg he tried to cut. He easily moves his offhand shortsword in time to parry, but gets knocked back halfway across the room because of the ridiculous power behind a simple swipe. His idea to make the bear switch target was good, but it is pretty scary how easily it can throw him around.
This is just the raw bear strength. What if it can also enhance its attacks as the raccoon dogs did?

"Whoa! Seems the time has come for me to get serious. Leo, you get back and guard the wounded. Pierre and I will dance with this guy while Henry sneaks around the back.
August is helping Andy take care of the last two raccoon dogs. I almost had one as well, but when I heard the wall collapsing, I came here before finishing it."

Leo

"I'm grateful you did, Thomas. Between the fact that this bear is a lot stronger than me and my having to protect someone, I am not in the best of shapes anymore myself."

As the bear assesses the new situation, maybe deciding who to take out first, both the boss, apparently named Thomas, and Pierre are each slowly approaching the bear from a different flank. The way it seems, they don't intend to actually fight it just yet; they're just stalling for time as the others finish off the pack.

The bear did not pick up on this queue and decides to just casually fire its magic. A magic circle forms in front of the bear, as it has its head aimed at Thomas.
I've seen what most elements of magic do while I was fighting small beasts, but I haven't seen a single dark-type magic beast yet. Does it just send a beam of darkness?

As the circle disappears again, and Thomas braces for impact, nothing happens?

*Shiing*
I frantically look to the other side, where I could just hear metal ringing.
Wait... While the magic bear is still staring at Thomas, I can hear Pierre scuff as he has his sword held out in front of him while getting pushed around... By another black bear?

"So it's this kind of void magic? that's going to be a handful..."
Thomas says 'this kind of magic', but all I see is just that there's a second bear?
The guy who fought the bear by himself, Leo, I think, stands up in front of me and holds his sword out as if he expects another opponent to come running at us. His voice shakes a little as he asks:
"That explains why he decided not to waste magic against me!, How many do you think it's going to spawn?"

Before Thomas even gets a chance to respond, the magic bear starts three new spell circles at once.
Two black wolves are staring at Leo and I!
"I don't know, but prepare to be overrun!"
My scythe is still somewhere outside, but I don't think I can just sit this one out!
I grab my newly acquired dagger from its sheath. I'm kind of scared to break it, but the entire purpose of a sidearm is to use it, right?
Leo quickly turns to me before he charges at his own wolf: "Don't worry about the wolf using magic!"

I guess that means this wolf is quite a bit weaker than the ember wolf, but I am in no shape to even be fighting! It's not like Leo is looking that great either, yet look at him go! He cuts deep into the dark wolf's torso as if it's made of butter. Then he jumps back, as if dodging a potential counterattack?
Surely that hit was fatal? He must have cut through a lung if not the heart!
"Leo, move!"

Leo instantly sidesteps away from me as a dark beam flashes between us before blasting a hole through the wall of the house. (So it does shoot dark beams?)
"Thanks, Thomas!"

"I should apologise, it's my fault he even got to fire."
I can hear a hint of relief behind the sad tone of this statement.

Fighting in a group is so much more chaotic than fighting one-on-one! I get too distracted by other people fighting bears and random beams flying across the room, so my wolf ends up getting a nibble on my right arm before I cut a hole through its head with my dagger. Maybe a nibble is an understatement. No time to rest, though, as the wolf head regenerates a few seconds later.

Leo returns closer to me and stabs at my wolf. I guess he intends to fight both wolves while I sit back. He seems very worried about me, but he does realise his own arms are covered in red as well, right?
In the corner of my eye, I can see Pierre falling to the ground as the black bear clone body slams him. Before the situation can get any worse, A knife flies straight into the bear's eyes.

"Sorry to make you wait, we've taken care of the raccoon dogs!"

"And we're not a minute too soon, it seems!"

A samurai holding a lot of knives and the young samurai who doesn't seem to like my being here enter the room to complete our party. The knife thrower stays outside as he helps distract all the summons, while the young guy cuts my wolf straight in half as he enters.

We finally outnumber them, though considering Thomas said something about some guy going around the back, who hasn't arrived yet, I hope there aren't too many enemies waiting around the back.

"I'll take these two!
Leo, take the brat and get out!"

"Thanks for taking over, August"

With that, he picks me up before I even get to do much in this fight and puts me down on the other side of the street.

Through the hole in the wall, I can see August easily handling the two wolves, regularly getting a stab or slash to connect, which heals shortly after.
Pierre and Thomas are barely able to hold out against the bears with some help from the knife dude standing in the door opening.
It does not seem like it'll be an easy fight, but the tide has certainly turned in our favour now that reinforcements have arrived.

It was way too early to declare victory. After Thomas dodges a bite from the real bear, it starts a big magic circle and shoots a beam all over the place. As it keeps shooting for at least a minute and everyone gets down on the ground, the walls of the house are completely riddled with holes as well as cut clean through. The house collapses with everyone inside.

After the house collapses, I can see the bear and one dark wolf running away as the driver coachman stands behind the rubble.

Leo, the knife guy, the coachmen and I are left standing outside the rubble. All four of us start throwing away chunks of frozen wood and straw in the hopes of excavating our comrades who just got crushed.

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